The SESAME Council met in Ankara on 7 and 8 December 2011. Welcoming delegates, Dr Zafer Alper, President of the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, stated: "We sincerely believe that SESAME offers a remarkable opportunity for international and regional scientific cooperation. It also promises to be an outstanding example of science in the service of peace."

The Council was impressed by progress in the construction of SESAME which was presented by the Director of SESAME, Professor Khaled Toukan (who is also Director of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission), and the Technical Director, Dr Amor Nadji. In late November the microtron accelerated an electron beam to the full energy of 22.5 MeV. The booster synchrotron – which will accelerate the beam to 800 MeV – is on course for operation before the end of 2012. The call for tender for the magnets for the new 2.5 GeV main storage ring is expected to go out in the spring of 2012.